Automatic bunch builder



June 18, 1940. a. BICKFORD AUTOMATIC BUNCH BUILDER Filed Nov. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 Qh um MN G. BICKFORD AUTOMATIC BUNCH BUILDER June 18, 1940.

Filed Nov. 8, 1938 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 w d ww f Mi IHEPIEEEI QW c Q .l w {IE1 W RE Patented June 18, 1940 PATENT OFFICE AUTOMATIC BUNCH BUILDER George Bickford, Lisbon, Maine, assignor to Farnsworth Mill, Lisbon Center, Maine, a corporation Application November 8, 1938, Serial No. 239,565

'7 Claims.

This invention relates to yarn spinning machines, and more particularly to a spinning mule and means associated therewith for bunching the yarn on the bobbin.

An object of this invention is to provide a bunch building device which is so constructed that the quantity of yarn used in the bunching operation may be readily calculated so that a minimum amount of yarn may be used in the bunch.

Another object of this invention is to provide a bunch building device of this kind which is automatically set during the resetting of the builder guide rail so that when the device is set for a particular quality of yarn the same amount of yarn will be used in the bunching operation on any number of bobbins without further attention by the operator.

A further object of this invention is to provide 20 adevice of this kind which can be readily adjusted for different qualities of yarn so that irrespective of the thickness of the yarn the same length of strand will be used during the bunch building operation. 25 it still further object of this invention is to provide a bunch building device of this kind which may be combined with the present parts of a spinning mule without displacing the parts thereof. 4

A further object of this invention is to provide a bunch building device which is adapted after the building of the desired bunch to automatically and suddenly be tripped and maintained inoperative during the remaining winding 3 operation and which without further action by the operator of the machine will be automatically set for a subsequent winding operation coincidentally with the setting ofthe machine for such subsequent winding operation.

It is well known that at'the present time looms are provided with means to automatically change bobbins when a bobbin is substantially emptied.

The bunching of the yarn on the bobbin is so that after the feeler which is provided on the loom sets into operation the bobbin changing mechanism there is only sufficient material left on the bobbin to effect the desired traverse of the shuttle with yarn from the practically emptied bobbin. Heretofore, the bunching devices have left i a considerable quantity of yarn on the bobbin with the result that such remaining yarn was wasted. Where a great number of bobbins are used the quantity of waste yarn means a very considerable loss, this; being particularly true where the yarn is of high quality. However, with a bunching device constructed according to this invention the amount of yarn remaining on the bobbin after the final traverse of the shuttle can be very closely calculated with the result that a number of additional traverses may be made by 5 the shuttle with the same length of yarn heretofore used on the bobbin and the wastage can be reduced to a point heretofore impossible.

With the foregoing and other objects in View, the invention will be more fully described hereinafter, and will be more particularly pointed out in the claims appended hereto.

'In the drawings, wherein like symbols refer to like or corresponding parts throughout the several views,

Figure 1 is a detail side elevation, partly broken away and in section of a bobbin winding device forming part of a spinning mule and having a device constructed according to an embodiment of this invention incorporated therewith. I

Figure 2 is a detail top plan of the builder rail and the bunch controlling mechanism. I I

Figure 3 is a fragmentary sectional View taken on the line 3-3 of Fig. 2.

Figure 4 is a sectional view taken on the line d& of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings, the character C designates generally a carriage which is adapted to reciprocate back and forth during the winding of yarn Y on a spindle S. The spindle or bobbin S is mounted on a winding shaft it which is provided with a whirling means ll whereby rotation thereof is effected. The carriage C and the means for winding the yarn Y on the bobbin S are conventional and are here shown as only one type of spinning mule with which the hereinafter de-' scribed invention may be associated.

A bracket 52 is secured to the carriage C and extends upwardly therefrom. A rock shaft I3 is rockably carried by the bracket or support l2, and an arcuate yarn feeding arm 14 is secured to the shaft 83. A shaft operating member I5 is disposed adjacent the carriage C, and the upper end of the operating member i5 is connected to the shaft it by means of an arcuate link I6, so that vertical movement of the operating memher if will effect a rocking of the shaft so as to thereby raise and lower the free or guiding end of the arm i l.

A slide member i1 is slidable vertically in a guide means it? carried by the carriage C, and this slide member i7 is provided with a roller I!) which traverses a builder guide rail 20'. The slide member I! is provided with a stud 2i engaging and supporting the operating member [5 so that the position of the slide member relative to the carriage C will determine the position of the arm l4.

The builder rail 29 is supported on a pair of inclined tracks 22 and 23 which are tied together by means of a tie rod 24, and the tracks 22 and 23 are slidable horizontally in guide members 25 and 26, respectively. The rail 29 is held against horizontal movement by means of a stationary vertically slotted member 21 in the slot of which a pin 28 engages.

As the carriage C is reciprocated back and forth the builder rail 29 is gradually lowered by movement of the tracks 22 and 23 under the action of an operating arm 29 which is operatively connected to a feeding screw 39 by means of a feeding mechanism generally designated at 3|. The details of the feeding mechanism 3| are shown in greater detail in Patent No. 1,692,866 dated November 27, 1928, in Figs. 1 and 2 thereof. The operating lever or arm 29 for the feeding mechanism 3| is rocked at one end of the movement of the carriage C by means of a strike member 32 in the form of a roller which is carried by a bar 33 provided with a slot 34 through which an adjusting bolt 35 engages. By means of this bar 33 the degree of rocking of the lever 29 may be finely regulated so as to rotate the feeding screw 39 to the desired degree at each reciprocation of the carriage C. The screw 39 is threaded through a nut 36 carried by a bracket 31 secured to the track 23 so that rotation of the screw 30 will effect gradual movement of the tracks 22 and 23 in unison.

All of the foregoing is conventional structure and is described in greater detail in Patent No. 1,692,866.

The builder rail 29 is provided at one end with a track engaging member 38, and at the opposite end with a track engaging member 39, engaging the tracks 22 and 23, respectively. An auxiliary track or plate 49 having a guide surface 4| inclined similar to the inclination of the track 22 is mounted on the track 22 for vertical movement, being provided with an elongated slot 43 through which a pair of headed guide members 44 extend, the guide members 44 being in the form of bolts which are threaded into the side of the track 22.

The plate or track 49 is provided with an outstanding lug 45, and during the bunching operation the lug 45 is engaged by one leg 46 of a dog 41 which is pivotally mounted on a pivot 48 carried by the track 22. The dog 41 is provided with a second leg or arm 49 which is adapted to engage a tripping lever 59. The lever 59 is mounted as at 5| on a slide 52 which is carried by a base member 53 adapted to be fixedly secured to a floor or other stationary part. The base member 53 is provided with an upstanding lug 54 at one end thereof, and a slide adjusting screw 55 is threaded through the lug 54 and is locked in its adjusted position by a lock nut 56. The slide member 52 is locked in its adjusted position by means of a locking bolt 51 which engages through a slot 58 in the slide member 52 and is threaded into the base 53. The lever 59 is provided at a point intermediate the ends thereof with a pair of upstanding ears 59 between which a lever operating dog 69 engages, the dog 69 being mounted on a pivot 6| which is carried by the ears 59.

The dog 69 is provided with a horizontally and laterally extending leg or arm 62 which overlies the lever 59, and a spring 63 extends through an opening 64 provided in the lever 59 and the upper end of the spring 63 engages against the under side of the arm 62, engaging about a lug 65 carried by the arm 62. The lower end of the spring 64 engages in a recess provided in the slide 59 and designated 66. The dog 69 is provided with a stop lug 67 which is adapted to engage against the upper side of the lever 59 and provides a means to limit the upward swinging of the arm 62 relative to the lever 59 so that the tension of the spring 63 may also be used to tension the lever 59 and constantly urge the lever 59 to an upper or set position.

The slide member 52 is provided with a pair of upstanding lugs 68 which are disposed at one side of the lever 59, and a shaft 69 is journalled through the lugs 68. The shaft 69 is coupled to the feeding shaft or screw 39 by means of universal joint structures 19 and 19' which are splined onto the shaft 69 by means of a pin engaging in guideways 72 provided in the adjacent portion of the universal joint 19. A cam member 13 is mounted on the shaft 69 by means of a set screw 14, and this cam member 13 is provided with an abrupt cam face 15 and a tapering cam face 19. The abrupt cam face 15 is adapted to engage the upper end of an arm "I"! integral with the dog 69 and disposed at substantially right angles to the lever operating arm 62. The cam member 13 is adapted to be adjusted about the sin-face of the shaft 69 so that the arm 11 will be moved downwardly to thereby swing the lever 59 out of engagement with the arm 49 of the dog 41.

In the use and operation of this device, when an empty bobbin is positioned on the spindle l9, the feeding screw 39 and the parts associated therewith will be in the position shown in Fig. 1. At this time the bunch controlling plate 49 will have the lug or foot 45 thereof contacting with the arm 46 of the tripping dog 41, and the arm 49 of the dog 41 will be in contact with the outer end of the lever 59 so that the lever 59 will hold the dog 41 against downward swinging movement, the arm 46 being heavier than the arm 49 and swinging downward by gravity upon release of the arm 49 from the lever 59. The fractional rotation of the feeding screw 39 upon each reciprocation of the carriage C is readily determined, and the number of turns of the spindle l9 for each reciprocation of the carriage C can be readily determined so that the quantity of yarn wound upon the bobbin S for each reciprocation of the carriage C can be finely calculated.

Having determined the number of turns made by the spindle |9 for each reciprocation of the carriage C, the cam member 13 is set by means of the set screw 14 on the shaft 69 so that when the correct quantity of yarn has been wound on the base of the bobbin S, the cam face 15 will strike the vertical arm 11 and trip the lever 59 so as to thereby release the trigger or dog 41 and permit the plate 49 to gravitatingly drop downwardly until the upper surface 4| thereof is substantially flush with the upper surface of the track 22. At this time the normal winding of the bobbin S will take place with the feeding screw 39 moving the tracks 22 and 23 at each reciprocation of the carriage C.

After the bobbin S has been filled, and at the time a new bobbin S is placed on the spindle ID, the feeding screw 39 is rotated reversely and during the reverse rotation of the screw 39 the shaft 69 is also rotated reversely and the inclined n face 16 of the cam 13 will ride over the upper end of the arm 11, the cam 13 at this time rotating in a counterclockwise direction as viewed in Fig. 4. The rail guiding tracks 22 and 23 Will for each new bobbin be disposed in the same starting position, and the feeding screw 30 will likewise be disposed in the same position at the beginning of each new bobbin, so that when the cam member 13 has once been set for a particular quality of yarn the same amount of yarn will be bunched on the bobbin S, and as the quantity of yarn can be accurately determined through the position of the cam 13 with respect to the tripping lever 11, it is readily understood that only sufficient yarn may be left on the bobbin S as will permit the shuttle to make its last movement over the lay with possibly a very short excess which will take care of unforeseen exigencies and will prevent the complete exhaustion of the bobbin during the last movement of the shuttle.

This device may be easily combined with spinning mule constructions at present in use, it being only necessary to substitute a longer feeding screw 30, or in lieu thereof provide a longer shaft 69 which may be coupled with the present length feeding screw 30 through the two universal joints ill and Ill. The tripping mechanism associated with the lever 50 is stationary, whereas the dog or trigger 41 is movable with the track or guide member 22. The use of the universal joint [0 permits the placement of the shaft 69 out of axial alinement with the shaft 30, and the spline connection comprising the pin 'H and the keyways 12 will permit adjustment of the base plate 52 to meet varying conditions of yarn, that is, with varying sizes of yarn.

While the saving in length of yarn for each bobbin may at first glance be very slight, where a great number of bobbins are used this slight saving for a single bobbin is multiplied to a point where it is very material, this being particularly so where expensive yarn is being wound on the bobbin S.

What is claimed is:

1. In a spinning mule having a builder rail, inclined-rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said rail guiding means; a yarn bunching means comprising an auxiliary rail guiding means, means slidably mounting said auxiliary rail guiding means on said first rail guiding means, spring-pressed means holding said auxiliary rail guiding means in operative position, rotatable tripping means for said springpressed means, and means connecting said tripping means with said feeding means for rotation thereby.

2. In combination with a builder rail for a spinning mule, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said rail guiding means; a yarn bunching means comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably supporting said member on said rail guiding means, spring-' pressed means for holding said auxiliary rail guiding member in operative position, a rotatable tripping means for said spring-pressed means, an operating member for said tripping means operatively connected to said feeding means, and

means adjustably securing said tripping means on said operating member.

3. The combination with a spinning mule builder rail, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said guiding means, of a yarn bunching means comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably supporting said member on said guiding means, releasable means engageable with said member for holding said member in rail engaging position, and rotatable means connected directly to said feeding means and engageable with said releasable means for actuating said releasable means upon rotation of said feeding means.

e. A bunching attachment for a spinning mule having a builder rail, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said guiding means, said attachment comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably securing said member on said guiding means, releasable springpressed holding means for holding said guiding member in operative position, a rotatable releasing member engageable with said holding means to move said holding means to released position, and means connecting said releasing member with said feeding means for operation thereby.

5. A bunching attachment for a spinning mule having a builder rail, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said guiding means, said attachment comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably securing said member on said guiding means, releasable springpressed holding means for holding said guiding member in operative position, a cam-shaped releasing member for said holding means, means supporting said releasing member for rotation, and means opetatively connecting said releasing member with said feeding means for rotation thereby.

6. A bunching attachment for a spinning mule having a builder rail, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said guiding means, said attachment comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably securing said member on said guiding means, releasable springpressed holding means for holding said guiding member in operative position, a shaft, means supporting said shaft for rotation, a cam-shaped releasing member on said shaft, and means connecting said shaft with said feeding means for operation thereby.

7. A bunching attachment for a spinning mule having a builder rail, a rail guiding means, and rotatable feeding means for said guiding means, said attachment comprising an auxiliary rail guiding member, means slidably securing said member on said guiding means, releasable springpressed holding means for holding said guiding member in operative position, a shaft, a bearing for said shaft, a cam-shaped releasing member on said shaft, means adjustably securing said releasing member on said shaft, and means connecting said shaft with said feeding means for operation thereby.

QE ORGE BICKFORD. 

